YOUR HOMETOWN WEEKLY NEWSPAPER ward Winning News al A pa
Vol. 7, No. 28
Including Surrounding Communities
Town manager to switch hats by Ruth Roberts Staff Writer
Town of Discovery Bay General Manager Virgil Koehne will be stepping down – perhaps by the end of the year – but will remain on board as the t ow n’s water and s e w e r manager. The decision, discussed between Ko e h n e KOEHNE and the CSD Board in a closed session late last month, was announced at the regular CSD meeting on July 1. The move is part of an overall restructuring of the district’s management staff, said CSD President Ray Tetreault, and will include the hiring of new general manager as well as a possible new landscaping director and office manager. Koehne, who has been with the district for more than a decade, has been serving as both the general manager and water and wastewater manager for years, but as the district has grown, so has the workload.
“The CSD has changed from having just a GM (general manager) handling all the items to the larger operation it is today,” said Tetreault. “One man can’t do all this … we think that Virgil is the man for water and sewer.” “This is in no way indicative of saying Virgil can’t handle the job (of GM),” said CSD Director Shannon Murphy-Teixeira. “They (water and general manager) are two huge jobs to split up and we just can’t split Virgil anymore.” Tetreault said Koehne’s move from GM to water and wastewater manager would not affect him financially. “We will take nothing away from Virgil,” he said in a recent phone interview. “This position fits him immensely; I would never want him (Virgil) to not be a part of this district. I think we are moving in the right direction in a way that will best serve the needs of the district and the town.” Koehne’s passion for the water and wastewater side of the town is well known, and he says he is in agreement with the board’s recommendations. “I love that area (water
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Dog-gone fireworks
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July 10, 2009
THIS WEEK
Promoting the passion
DB Elementary honored one of its alumni’s passion for life with a special scholarship.
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Rumor has it Talk About Town lets you eavesdrop on our insider’s take on the proposed T-Mobile phone tower. Photo by Stacey Chance
assidy Chance, above, did not have a very happy Fourth of July. Frightened by the noise of neighboring fireworks, the Discovery Bay resident clawed at a gate until she broke off her nails and bloodied her paw. Despite poor Cassidy’s experience, Lt. Mike Burton of Delta Station said fireworks calls for Discovery Bay were down by about a third overall from last year, and added that there were also no incidents of property damage reported. Good news for residents, but a miserable Cassidy is still an example of why everyone should obey the no-fireworks laws.
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Exchange rates high
see Manager page 18A
A Historical Fourth by Rick Lemyre Staff Writer
Photo by Rick Lemyre
World War II veterans Carl Garcia, left, and Nash Gamino identify classmates in a photo of Knightsen School’s Class of 1936 in the research room of the ECCHS Museum on Saturday. In addition to bolstering the record of far East County’s past, the two were honored for their service in the war at the museum’s July 4 celebration.
Even if you hadn’t checked your calendar, it was easy to tell it was the Fourth of July at the East Contra Costa Historical Society’s Byer-Nail Museum last weekend. In addition to the flags and bunting, there were hot rods galore, salutes to the military, root beer floats and people keen on celebrating, and learning, their heritage. “This is really something,” said Penny Lange, who stopped by to check out the goings on with her husband Terry. The couple had recently moved to Byron from Texas, and were delighted at what they found.
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“You don’t see this kind of detail in a lot of small-town museums,” she said, taking in the recently restored kitchen of the house built in 1877. “You can really get a feel for the area, and you can see the people are proud of their roots.” Front and center inside the museum was its newest attraction, a tribute to local veterans. Newspaper accounts of various conflicts stood alongside uniforms and mementos donated by locals who had lived through them, while outside sat a World War II motorcycle looking ready for battle. The guests of honor at the event see Fourth page 18A
Local soccer players have invited a delegation from Japan onto the field – and into their homes.
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INSIDE Calendar ..........................23B Classifieds ........................16B Cop Logs ..........................16A Entertainment ................14B Food .................................12B Health & Beauty .............10B Milestones ......................... 8B Opinion ...........................15A Sports ................................. 1B Talk About Town ..............5A WebExtras! ....................... 1B
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FOR MOVIE TIMES SEE PAGE 5A